Sun-Kissed and Sea-Blue Embraced

Good Morning Hawaii by Kolohe Kai played in my head when I woke up this morning. It is a song with a pleasant melody that seamlessly sets you in a jubilant mood to start the day.The sun is rising now. I see you rising too.

I knew it would be a good morning indeed. Christopher and I shared our day with a Hawaii island that would spoil us with its aloha hospitality, fresh foodie galore, and its undeniable beauty.

But before we ventured off, we grubbed at the sunny (inside-and-out) Koko Head Cafe. I would have taken more pictures but my Cornflake French Toast (billionaire’s bacon,creamy black pepper maple, frosted flake gelato”) and the luau wontons consumed me. I’m usually not the biggest diner fan because, from my experience at least, they focus more on the quantity than quality. Koko Head Cafe broke the diner bias for me and raised the bar for anywhere serving french toast; if your eyes close at first bite, it’s like love at first sight for foodies.

A food-coma state surely took over but, soon enough, the breathtaking scenery woke me up once more.

We climbed down Halona Beach Cove’s ancient formations

and jumped over tides at Sandy Beach

As if the soothing blue hues weren’t enough, my spirit felt complete once submerged in the perfectly cool embrace of the ocean’s shore then uplifted by Mother Nature’s own emerald spirit.

We headed back to the city after soaking sun rays

First stop: In4mation
Even back in the Bay, the cursive “hi” shirts are commonly seen so we were eager to stop by the store in its homeland. We walked out with new gear and tips from Steven of In4mation who readily welcomed us and shared his must-see spots.

This blog post began with a food coma and will end with one. All the trekking and shopping inevitably led to rumbling tummies. Off to Lucky Belly we went!

Lucky Belly is an Asian-Fusion with a selection ranging from karage chicken sandwiches to lamb lumpias. It already swooned me with its spacious and naturally-lit design. To match its fresh design, you can taste the freshness in Lucky Belly’s food.

It is known for its ramen and lucky pork belly so we ordered the pork belly bao and ramen with pork belly. Despite the fattiness of pork, because our meal was prepared at such high quality, languid slumps didn’t follow. Just happily satisfied tastebuds.

And that concludes Day 1’s daylight adventure. Stay tuned for Day 1 part deux!